Wainscoting and parquetry for hard-wood floors



(No'ModeL) O. P. PARKER. WAINSGOTING AND PARQUETRY FOR HARD WOOD FLOORS, &c.

Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

i If i IVA a 6 da s.

Price.

PATENT CHARLES F. PARKER, OF IVASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO.

WAINSCOTING AND PARQUETRY FOR HARD-WOOD FLOORS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,769, dated April 19,1898.

Application filed September 25, 1897. Serial No. 653,080. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington Court-House, in the county of Fayette and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wainscoting and Parquetry for Hard-Wood Floors, Ceilings, 85c. and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, is a full, clear, and exact description of my improvements, such as will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates, broadly, to the construction of wainscoting and parquetry for all purposes, and especially to the construction of hard-wood floors; and my invention has for its object to simplify and improve such construction by new and eificient means of securing the blocks or strips in place.

According to my invention (which is especially useful for resurfacing old floors) a floor is constructed in the following manner: I first secure a grooved marginal strip around the fioor which is to be resurfaced close up to the ordinary skirting board. Metal points or binding-plates are next driven into the groove of said marginal strip at the proper intervals with their engaging points extending outward, and, finally, the wooden blocks, which have previously been shaped and grooved, are driven together with suitable bindingplates between their adjacent edges and the sections of attached blocks secured to the marginal strip by being driven onto the projecting points. The binding-plates are preferably formed with a central perforation in order that a small nail may be driven through them at intervals for securing the blocks to the floor. \Vhen it is desired to form the blocks into a design or pattern, they are built up into the desired pattern on the work-bench by means of the metal points or binding-plates and small staples driven in the under side across their meeting edges to prevent the blocks from separating. The formed pattern is then put in place and secured to the floor in the manner already explained.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and then more particularly point out in the claims what I deem as new therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a floor constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a series of blocks secured together in the form of a pattern ready to be attached to the floor. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the manner of fastening the blocks to the floor. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of block in which the groove or kerf extends around the whole of its edges.

A is the floor of a room.

B is the wall, and O the skirting-board, which extends around the wall next to the floor.

D is a marginal strip secured around the edge of the floor A closeup to the skirtingboard 0 and provided with a continuous groove 61 or kerfs, as e.

E are blocks of hard wood, which may be ornamented with any suitable design. The blocks E have formed in their edges grooves or kerfs e,said kerfs extending into the blocks, preferably,in the arc of a circle, and when in this form they are very conveniently cut in the blocks by a circular saw. This form of kerf is important, because it does not remove the wood from the edges of the block between the corners and unnecessarily weaken them, and at the same time that the strength of the corners is maintained akerf of sufficient size is afforded for the reception of the bindingplate.

F are the metal points or binding-plates, which are formed of any suitable shape and may be provided with sharp edges for facilitating driving them into the kerfs in the blocks. They are preferably in the form of a square or other rectangular figure, because the points or angles of the edges facilitate inserting them in the blocks. Each of these plates as preferably constructed is provided with a central oblique perforation f, for the purpose presently to be explained, and the angular projections or corners f.

In securing the wooden blocks in place on the floor the binding-plates are first driven into the groove or kerf in one of the meeting edges, so that one of the points and half of the binding-plate will project from said edge. The blocks are next placed in proper position and driven together.

g are small nails, which are driven through the central oblique perforations f of the plates Fin such manner that when the edges are driven together the head of the nail is below the surface and concealed from View, for securing the blocks to the floor. It is only necessary to use the nails at intervals, as a very few of them will keep the blocks in place when aided by the binding-plates.

c are cut-away portions formed under the kerfs to allow space for the body of the nail, thus obviating mashing or splitting the wood. This greatly facilitates the'work in putting the sections together and can be cut at the same time the block is kerfed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a simple design or pattern formed by attaching the several blocks on the work-bench before they are placed on the floor. The blocks are arranged in the proper position, and after the bindingplates are secured in the grooves the several blocks are driven together in the manner already explained. The design is then reversed and staples H driven into the under side across the meeting edges for preventing the blocks separating. The pattern is then placed on the floor and secured as above described.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of block in which the groove extends around the entire edgeof the block. This form, however, is not as desirable as the form shown in Fig. 1, for the reason that the corners are materially weakened and frequently break on account of the removal of the wood from the corners.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to form a'flooring of wooden blocks or strips having continuous grooves in their adjacent edges and continuous metal binding-strips engaging in said grooves for holding the blocks together and keeping their upper surfaces fiush; but I am not aware that it has been proposed to employ binding-plates such as above described, which can conveniently be inserted in the grooves of the wooden blocks; nor am I aware that it has everbeen proposed to groove the corners, or to groove space only on their edges between the corners, or to groove them in the peculiar man-.

ner above set forth; and to these important improvements it will be observed I have confined my claims.

The important differences of my improved structure over those previously devised can be summed up as follows: In securing a series of blocks together by a continuous binding-strip which is inserted in continuous grooves in the adjacent faces of the blocks, there is great dificulty experienced in inserting the strip in the grooves on account of the bending and buckling of the strip. By employing my improved metal points or binding-plates this difficulty is wholly obviated, and the platescan be quickly and easily inserted and driven into the groove or kerf. Also by employing this form of binding-plate it is not necessary that the groove should be a continuous one extending around the whole block, and this renders the structure of the block simpler and more economical to manufacture, and in addition to this the block is much stronger when it is not grooved at its corners, for the corners are not liable to break ofi.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a suitable backing or support, wooden blocks or strips provided with kerfs in their edges extending a short distance each side of the center of such edge between the corners, and suitable bindingplates adapted to enter said kerfs for holding the blocks together, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a suitable backing or support with Wooden blocks provided With kerfs in their edges extendinga short distance each side of the center of such edge, and a cut-away portion or recess below said kerf, and suitable binding-plates adapted to enter said kerfs for holding the blocks together and a nail adapted to pass through said bindingplates thereby securing the whole to the backing or support, substantially as and for the purpose described.

CHARLES F. PARKER.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE W. ALLEN, N. B. HALL. 

